1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a system and method for improving the delivery of computer-based services, and more specifically, for altering the process by which the services are delivered responsive, for example, to the conditions of service. Even more specifically, the preferred embodiment of the invention relates to such systems and method that are particularly well suited for delivering such processes to mobile computing devices.
2. Background Art
Mobile computing is the practice of computing while mobile. Today, mobile handheld computing is ubiquitous. Many cell phones have more processing power and memory than the mainframe computers of the 1950s. Mobile computers are being adopted as line-of-business tools in many industries, insurance among them. When mobile computers are used this way, it is imperative that they be managed, usually in real time.
Tools for real-time management of mobile computers are available from many companies, among them Nokia, Motorola, Hewlett-Packard, MFormation and Research In Motion. These device management tools are used as part of management processes. For example, if a mobile computer is lost or stolen, this initiates a management process designed to reduce the risk of loss of information held in the device. Service providers like the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provide mobile computer management as a service.
Because of the highly variable environment that mobile computing operates in, certain service processes may need to be altered (“expedited”) on the fly. An example is based on property and casualty insurance catastrophic claims. Whereas normal claims processing may require pre-approval for claims payment, under circumstances of catastrophe it may be desirable to pay a claim first and then post-audit the claim, especially if failure to pay a claim in a timely manner might lead to increased payouts.
Service processes today are often performed manually. A call is received from the user of a mobile device, and the call center operator uses a device management tool to change the configuration of the mobile device so as to respond to the user's concerns. The call center operator follows a pre-designed process. Opportunities for streamlining the process may not be apparent; the operator may be precluded from changing the process in any way by policy restrictions. But since operators are capable of judging the suitability of a given process to satisfy the user's concerns, and can also judge the need for each step in the process, the human user can, on occasion, modify the way the process is executed so as to simplify or streamline the process execution.
Some mobile device management is being performed using automated service managers, where the service manager executes a computer-readable process definition and uses it to control device management tools.
When computer-readable process definitions exist, today's approach is to encode all possible known variability in the service process definition, or to allow substitution of alternate implementations of a process step based on contextual information. In the former situation, the process description becomes overly complex, while in the latter situation, only changes to step implementations can be done. With the introduction of automation via computer-readable process definitions, some desirable flexibility is lost.